Folding crate.



'E. BENSQN. FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22, 1908.

936,696. Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

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FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED 0013.22, me;

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EMIL BENSON, OF LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Application filed October 22, 1908. Serial No. 459,007.

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that I, EMIL BENSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Crosse, in the county of La Crosse and State ofWisconsin, have invented certain new and useful improvements in FoldingCrates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to crates having special reference to a device ofthis character which is known as a folding crate.

An object of this invention is to construct a sheet metal crate whichcan be folded into a small space conveniently and quickly and which willbe strong and durable.

A further object of the invention is to ':onstruct a device of thischaracter which comprises but few parts which are connected togetherpreventing the loss of-any of the same as well as facilitating thesetting up of the crate.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the followingdescription and it will be understood that changes in the specificstructure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claimwithout departing from the spirit of the inven- In the drawings forminga portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of referenceindicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a top plan viewof the crate having the cover removed therefrom, Fig. 2 is a top planview of the crate in a semi-closed position, Fig. 3 is a front elevationof the crate, and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the sheet metal back of thecrate which is provided along its upper edge with an outwardly turnedflange l1 and which is provided along the bottom edge with a pluralityof pin sleeves 12. The' sleeves 12 alternate with a plurality of similarpin sleeves 13 formed upon the rear edge of a sheet metal bottom 14,thus hingedly connecting the bottom 14 to the back 10. The opposite endsof the back 10 are provided with the pinsleeves 15 and 16, whichalternate with the pin sleeves 17 and 18, disposed along the rear edgeof the sides 19 and 20 of the crate. The sheet metal ends 19 and 20 aswell as the bottom 14 are pivotally held in engagement with the back 10by means of the pins 21' which are positioned through the sleeves of therespective crate sections. The ends 19 and 20 are outwardly flangedalong their up per edges and these flanges register with the flange 11,to support a sheet metal cover 22 which is slidably engaged over saidflanges and held in such position by the turned over receiving beads 23,formed upon the under side of the cover 22. A sheet metal front 24 whichis provided with rows of pin sleeves 25 and 26 along the opposite endsthereof, is hingedly engaged with the pin sleeves formed upon theforward ends 19 and 20 and are held in such engagement by the cornerpins 27. The front 24 is provided midlength with a plurality oflengthwise disposed slots, or incisions having the metal includedbetween the same alternately dished outward and inward to alternatelyform the half sockets 30, as shown in Fig. 3. The outwardly dishedsocket portions 30 are arranged to receive the pin sleeves 28, formedupon the forward edge of a sheet metal partition 29, which is disposedcentrally across the interior of the crate. A pin 30 is disposed throughthe pin-receiving channels 30 of the front wall 24 and the sleeves 28for the purpose of hingedly connecting the same. The sheet metal bottom14 is held in position by means of a downwardly turned flange 31 whichis formed along the forward edge and which engages a bead 32 formedalong the inner lower edge of the front 24. A staple 33 is positionedintermediately upon the pin 30 and extends forwardly therefrom overwhich is engaged a hasp 34 which is hingedly disposed upon the forwardedge of the cover 22. When the crate is set up and it is desired to foldthe same the cover 22 is disengaged from the flanges formed about theupper edges of the sides 19 and 20 and the back 10 by sliding the samerearwardly. The partition 29 is now folded against the inner side of thefront wall 24 to admit of the raising of the bottom 14 against the back10. The sides 19 and 20 and the back 10 and front wall 24 are now in aposition to be collapsed owing to their hinged connections to eachother.

What is claimed is A sheet metal crate, comprising a back section havingits opposite ends and lower edge provided with a plurality of pinsleeves, the upper edge being bent outward to form a flange, two similarend members each having its opposite vertical edges provided with aplurality of pin sleeves while each upper edge is bent outward toprovide a flange, pins within said sleeves to hingedly connect said endsto said back, a front having its op posite vertical edges provided witha plurality of pin sleeves registering with the sleeves on said endmembers, corner pins within said sleeves of the front to hingedlyconnect said front to said ends, said front having its lower edge bentto form a receiving bead, said front inidlength having a plurality oflengthwise disposed incisions, the metal between said incisions beingalternately dished inward and outward to form a pin-receiving channel, abottom provided along its rear edge with a plurality of pin sleevesregistering with the sleeves. within the lower edge of said back, thefront edge of said bottom being flanged downward to find a seatingwithin said bead, a partition having a plurality of pin sleeves heldwithin the outwardly dished channel-for1ning portions, a pin within saidchannel to hingedly secure said partition, and a cover having its rearedge and its ends bent to form receiving beads to hold said upper edgeflanges, all arranged as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL BENSON. \Vitnesses T. S. GHILSON, JOHN V. Hnnmviogr.

